Not applicable.
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Not applicable.
The present invention relates to a system for dispensing a product from a container. The system is especially suitable for use as part of, or as a dispensing closure for, a flexible container which is squeezable.
There are a wide variety of packages which include (1) a squeezable container, (2) a dispensing system extending as a unitary part of, or attachment to, the container, and (3) a product contained within the container. One type of such a package employs a single dispensing valve for discharging a single stream of product (which may be a liquid, cream, or particulate product). See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,839,614. The package includes a flexible, resilient, slit-type valve. The valve is normally closed and can withstand the weight of the product when the container is completely inverted, so that the product will not leak out unless the container is squeezed.
With some types of products, such as glue, hair coloring, condiments, and the like, it may be desirable to provide a dispensing system which can more accurately control the discharge of the product. In particular, it may be desirable to more precisely control the location of the deposit of the product and to provide a dispensing system for affording such control while at the same time permitting the user to clearly observe the product deposition location. It would also be advantageous if such an improved dispensing system could also more accurately control the direction in which the product is dispensed while at the same time providing a clear indication to the user as to the specific direction in which the product will be, or is being, dispensed.
Although a relatively long, narrow, tapered nozzle might be employed to facilitate the dispensing of a product in a way that would enable the user to more accurately control the product dispensing location and product dispensing direction, the use of such a long nozzle can create other problems. Specifically, the product within a long nozzle may continue to flow from the nozzle even after the desired amount of product has been dispensed.
For example, consider the situation when a relatively high viscosity product is being dispensed from an inverted, squeezable container through a relatively long nozzle. The long nozzle must be initially filled with fluid product as the container is inverted. The user, after inverting the container, is unable to tell exactly when the product will be discharged from the tip of the nozzle. With a relatively high viscosity product, the user will have to squeeze the container somewhat just to fill the nozzle, and the user thus cannot be sure when the nozzle has been filled and when the first drop of product will be discharging from the nozzle.
Further, when the user sees that the desired amount of product has been dispensed from the tip of the nozzle and deposited on the receiving surface, the user would typically stop squeezing the container. However, the amount of product within the nozzle may continue to flow out of the nozzle before the user can invert the container or otherwise move the system away from the dispensing location. Thus, such a system lacks the desired capability to precisely control the termination of the product flow from the nozzle.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide an improved dispensing system which could overcome, or at least minimize, the above-described product dispensing control problems.
It would also be desirable to provide an internal system for positively preventing flow of the product through the system regardless of the orientation of the container and regardless of whether or not the container was being squeezed or otherwise pressurized. Such an internal seal system should be easily actuatable to open the flow path when desired to accommodate the dispensing of the product and should be readily actuatable to close the flow path when desired so as to prevent inadvertent leakage of the product when the container is being shipped or stored where it might be subjected to external impact forces which could increase the pressure within the container or otherwise cause discharge of some amount of the product.
The U.S. Pat. No. 6,290,108 discloses a prior art dispensing system that includes an embodiment which has, inter alia, a long nozzle and which allows the user to (1) more easily ascertain the location where the product will be deposited, (2) more easily control the starting and stopping of the product flow out of the nozzle, and (3) employ a releasable internal seal for positively preventing flow of the product through the system regardless of the orientation of the container and regardless of whether or not the container is being squeezed or otherwise pressurized. However, when such a prior art system is employed in some applications, especially where the system has particular internal flow path dimensions and is used to dispense high viscosity fluent products (e.g., mustard or mayonnaise), there may be operational characteristics that a user might find objectionable in some situations. Potentially objectionable operational characteristics may be present in some applications because the system employs an internal seal in conjunction with a fixed spout over which is mounted a movable nozzle carrying a pressure-openable, flexible, slit type valve. The internal seal elements must first be opened (by moving the nozzle upwardly) to allow the user to squeeze the product through the pressure-openable valve. After such a prior art dispensing system has discharged a desired quantity of a high-viscosity product and the valve has re-closed, there is an accumulation of the product in the space between the top end of the spout and the closed valve. If the user then operates the system to close the internal seal by moving the nozzle (and valve carried therein) downwardly toward the spout, the squeezing of the viscous product between the downwardly moving valve and the top end of the spout may cause the valve to open so that some product flows out through the valve until the nozzle reaches the bottom end of its movement (where the internal seal is completely closed). This may be especially objectionable with a food product such as mustard or mayonnaise where a small amount of such a product would then remain on the exterior of the valve even though the user has finished dispensing the product and has manipulated the dispensing system so that the internal seal is fully closed. Thus, it would be desirable to provide an improved dispensing system which could accommodate relatively viscous products and which could be manipulated to establish a closed, internal seal in a way that causes only a minimal amount of, or no, flow through the flexible, slit valve as the dispensing system is manipulated to fully close the internal seal elements.
It would also be beneficial if an improved dispensing system could function without the need for a hinged lid which would have to be initially moved to an open position to permit dispensing and which, in the open position, could obscure a portion of the product dispensing stream or product discharge location from the user""s view. It would also be desirable if such an improved dispensing system would not employ any other type of separate lid, overcap, or plug which would require removal prior to dispensing and which could become lost or misplaced.
It would also be advantageous if such an improved system could accommodate bottles, containers, or packages which have a variety of shapes and that are constructed from a variety of materials.
Further, it would be desirable if such an improved system could accommodate efficient, high-quality, large-volume manufacturing techniques with a reduced product reject rate to produce a system with consistent operating characteristics unit-to-unit with high reliability.
The present invention provides an improved dispensing system which can accommodate designs having the above-discussed benefits and features.
The present invention provides a system for dispensing a product from a container in a way that can be better controlled by the user. The system can accommodate the discharge of liquids, creams, or particulate matter, including powders. The user can more easily ascertain the location where the product will be deposited. The user can readily control the direction of product flow. Further, the starting and stopping of the product flow can be more precisely controlled. The system includes a flexible, slit valve located above internal sealing elements, and the system can be manipulated to fully close the internal seal elements in a way that causes only a minimal amount of, or no, fluid product to be discharged through the flexible, slit valvexe2x80x94even when the fluid product is a relatively viscous product.
The dispensing system is adapted for use in dispensing a product from a container having an opening. Some portions of the dispensing system may be formed as a unitary part of an end of such a container, or the system may be a separate assembly that is permanently or releasably attached to the container.
In a first embodiment of the invention, the dispensing system includes a spout that is adapted for communicating with the container opening and that defines (1) at least one discharge aperture having a fixed geometry at a stationary location relative to the container, and (2) a distal seal surface located distally of the discharge aperture relative to the container.
The dispensing system includes a nozzle assembly which is mounted on the spout. The nozzle assembly is movable along the spout between a retracted, closed position, and an extended, open position. The nozzle assembly includes a nozzle having (1) a dispensing passage around at least a portion of the spout, and (2) a distal seal surface for sealingly engaging the spout distal seal surface when the nozzle assembly is in the retracted, closed position.
The nozzle assembly also includes a resiliently flexible valve. The valve is sealingly disposed across the nozzle dispensing passage at a location distally of the spout distal seal surface. The valve has an initially closed dispensing orifice which opens in response to a pressure differential acting across the valve.
The first embodiment of the dispensing system also includes a flow restrictor that is disposed across the nozzle dispensing passage at a location between the valve and the nozzle distal seal surface so as to restrict flow toward the valve as the nozzle assembly is moved to the retracted, closed position.
In a second embodiment of the invention, the dispensing system includes a spout for communicating with the container opening, and the spout has a deck defining at least one discharge aperture having a fixed geometry at a stationary location relative to the container. A nozzle assembly is mounted on the spout for movement between a retracted, closed position and an extended, open position. The nozzle assembly includes (A) a nozzle having a dispensing passage around at least a portion of the spout; (B) a resiliently flexible valve that (1) is sealingly disposed across the nozzle dispensing passage at a location distally of the spout discharge aperture, and (2) has an initially closed dispensing orifice which opens in response to a pressure differential acting across the valve; and (C) a flow restrictor that is disposed across the nozzle dispensing passage at a location between the valve and the spout deck discharge aperture.
The second embodiment of the dispensing system also includes (1) a distal seal groove defined on either the spout deck or nozzle, and (2) a distal seal bead on the other of the spout deck and nozzle. The distal seal bead sealingly engages the distal seal groove when the nozzle assembly is in the retracted, closed position. The seal groove may be defined in the spout deck around the discharge aperture, and the seal bead may be defined on the flow restrictor.
A presently preferred form of the dispensing system has the valve mounted adjacent the distal tip of the nozzle. Preferably, the valve is self-sealing and is biased to close when the pressure differential across the open valve drops below a predetermined amount. Alternatively, the dispensing system can employ a valve which, once opened, remains opened even if the pressure differential across the valve drops to zero. Further, the dispensing structure of the present invention can accommodate different types of valves, as well as different sizes of valves.
Numerous other advantages and features of the present invention will become readily apparent from the following detailed description of the invention, from the claims, and from the accompanying drawings.